RI on brink of AIDS epidemic: UNAIDS chief

RI on brink of AIDS epidemic: UNAIDS chief

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

UNAIDS executive director Peter Piot could be in any city in the
world for World AIDS Day, which falls on Thursday.

But he has chosen to commemorate it here, in the capital of
the world's fourth most populous nation, as it is "the new
frontline of an AIDS epidemic".

Piot said he wanted to see attention focused on the Asian
region, where one in five people is infected globally, compared
to one in 10 new infections a decade ago.

Indonesia, he said, is on the brink of a major epidemic, and
every layer of society should join the battle against HIV/AIDS.

"When I look at Indonesia from a global perspective, I would
say that there's no doubt that Indonesia is in the early stages
of an AIDS epidemic," Piot said on Monday after meeting with
chief welfare minister Alwi Shihab.

The United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) chief said
an expanded response to the epidemic was critical as infection
rates were running high among injecting drug users, (IDUs) sex
workers and their clients, and also among the heterosexual
population in the easternmost province of Papua.

"We know from experience that once it starts like that, it's
only a matter of time before HIV spreads outside these fairly
defined populations," Piot said as he began his four-day visit to
Indonesia.

"...all the elements are here for the rapid spread of HIV, so
it's (up to us) to express concern, to highlight the
opportunities that are there. The opportunities are enormous to
really stop the epidemic, to nip it in the bud."

Ministry of Health data for September shows there are 8,251
people living with HIV/AIDS in the country. International
agencies, however, say 90,000 to 130,000 people could be HIV-
positive while some local experts say it is more like
180,000 to 250,000 people.

The major force driving the epidemic here is injecting drug
use.

Alwi said there are at least 600,000 IDUs throughout the
country, half of whom are believed to be HIV-positive.

Piot said that while President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had
expressed clear commitment to fighting AIDS, the same level of
commitment was needed from all levels of society.

"We know from experience that's how you make progress in
AIDS."

Discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS and the stigma
attached to the virus have hampered efforts to prevent its
spread.

The promotion of condom use as well as harm reduction
strategies, which includes providing sterile disposable needles
and disinfectants as well as providing heroin substitutes, are
still controversial and have not received full support.

Alwi said his office had talked to religious leaders to
emphasize the disastrous consequences of not promoting the use of
condoms.

"We are giving the other perspective of religious
understanding. Under Islamic law, it is also necessary to prevent
death, and maintaining life is the responsibility of all
individual Muslims," said the minister who is also a Muslim
scholar.

He said representatives of regional legislative councils from
all 33 provinces would meet in Jakarta on Friday to discuss
HIV/AIDS-related issues, particularly the budget allocation.

Last year, the government promised to raise its spending on
subsidizing drugs for HIV/AIDS patients to Rp 24 billion (US$2.49
million), up from Rp 10 billion in 2003.

However, AIDS activists said that many people living with the
virus had not been able to get affordable access to the drugs.